Birth injuries caused by the negligence of a medical provider are capable of causing all sorts of harm to the child. Mechanical trauma, such as a paralyzed shoulder that was pulled too harshly during delivery, might be the most noticeable but it is mental debilitation caused by birth injuries that tend to cause the most harm. In particular, a brain injury at birth can make the child experience a number of unpredictable developmental issues.
Developmental problems associated with severe birth injuries can include:
- Language: A key indicator that a child has a developmental debilitation related to a birth injury is a significant difficulty with learning language. The average toddler has a small vocabulary of about two dozen words by the age of 18 months. About six months later, you should notice their vocabulary double, as well as include the combination of words, even if it is as simple as “Hi mommy.”
- Social interaction: Some children with a developmental issue will struggle to understand social interactions. Children in kindergarten or Pre-K start to gain an idea of acceptable interactions with other children, such as learning that hitting is not appreciated. A birth injury child may never pick up on cues most take for granted, which creates complications and unfair hurdles in their adult lives. Keeping gainful employment or completing a full education can be impossible for a child with a developmental issue from birth.
- Subject comprehension: Even if a child with a debilitating birth injury like cerebral palsy does not struggle to learn the language and social cues, it can still be extremely difficult to learn new subjects in school. The child’s memory may be fine as well, remembering family members and friends, but simply connecting information to learn and master a subject could be impossible. As with a social interaction problem, the child’s future will be unsteady due to a prevalent difficulty with schooling, employment, and independence.
- Memory: Brain injuries at a young age can cause significant detriments to a child’s memory, akin to amnesia or dementia at a young age. In severe cases, it may even interfere with a child’s ability to understand object permanence, a basic comprehension that should develop no later than 8 months of age.
Put Proven Legal Counsel On Your Side
If your child is struggling to develop and gain an education due to a birth injury, then you should think about who caused that injury and if you can hold them accountable for damages. Some birth injuries do not manifest symptoms until you notice a developmental issue later in your child’s life years later. Due to statute of limitations laws beginning when a health issue is noticeable, not when it first occurs, you might still be able to file a claim.
Discover your rights and legal options by contacting the lawyers of Beam Legal Team. We are headquartered in Chicago but assist clients all around the country.
Thanks to our efforts, our total verdicts and settlements secured for clients throughout the years surpassed $1 billion. For a free case evaluation, call (866) 766-3806 today.